


First Knife

by pirategirljack



Category: 12 Monkeys (TV)
Genre: Angst, Dialogue-Only, F/M, Fluff, Gifts, Weapons Training
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-23
Updated: 2015-04-23
Packaged: 2018-03-25 10:38:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3807244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pirategirljack/pseuds/pirategirljack
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cole has a gift for Cassie</p>
            </blockquote>





	First Knife

"What's this?"

"A knife. For you."

Cassie took the handle he held out at her, and studied the way it fit right into her hand, the curves and dents smooth and comfortable. "It looks old."

"It is." He ducks his head, looks away, but doesn't clam up like she expects him to. "It was my first knife, when Ramse and me were first on our own. I thought it might fit your hand better than mine now."

"It's like it was made for me."

"Wouldn't be surprised if it was, the way our lives are." He quirked an eyebrow at her, just the tiniest bit of a wry expression. 

"Where's it from?"

"Ramse found it. I don't know. I wasn't very old, he found most of the stuff I needed back then."

It was a plain knife, just a wooden handle and a wickedly sharp steel blade, but it meant something to him. And he was giving it to her.  
"Thank you."

"It's small enough, I want you to keep it on you all the time. Things aren't safe now, and I can't be with you all the time. I'll teach you how to use it."

Cassie remembered how he taught her to use the gun, how patient he was, how his hands guided her arms. Her hips.

"Is it hard?"

"Not really. Sharp edges can be a problem."

She pushed his arm, and he rewarded her with a huff of actual laughter, just a little. "Hold it like this," he said, and put it in place in her hand, moved her fingers to their best locations, folded his hand around hers to show her how to fold her arm, her shoulder, her body.

Learning how to stab someone with a blade shouldn't be so hot.

"You're a natural."

"You're humoring me. I almost just cut my own arm off."

"But you didn't." He rolled up his sleeve and showed her a thin silver line across his forearm. "I did, my first time."

She ran through what he'd shown her again, then, all at once, it was like she'd never seen a knife before, and she just looked at the alien thing in her alien hand.

"What's wrong?"

"Do you think I'll actually need this?"

"I hope you don't, but it's easier to conceal than a gun and has less chance of fucking up on you."

"Do you--do you think I'll have to kill someone with it? Up close like that?"

"I hope you don't."

"Which means you think I will."

"Cass..."

"Do you know why I'm not a medical doctor?"

"Why?"

"Too much chance of people dying. I just--I just want people to be well. I just want to save people. This--the knife lessons, the gun training--this is the opposite of what I want."

"I know." Cole backed up a little, putting space between them like he did when he thought he was failing her. "I don't want you to have to. I don't want me, what I am--I don't want that to damage you. You're--you're special. I don't know anyone like you. I don't want to be the reason you...harden." He looked at her then, sideways, but sharply. "But I won't let you die again. And if I can't be here to defend you, you have to know how to defend yourself. I can't--I can't lose you because I didn't teach you how to survive. I can't."

He was so tense, every muscle in his shoulders and back pulled tight. She laid her hand on his fisted hand, and left it there until he loosened his fingers and let her twine hers with his. He looked at her like she was some sort of miracle.

"Let's get back to work then."


End file.
